My family has been coming here for something over a yr now. I'm glad I didn't review this school right away. Now that I've been coming here for a while I feel like I can write an honest review. First off, all three of my kids take class here, all in different levels. One of the things that is most impressive is the instructor's ability to teach their students of any level and age group. It's amazing how flexible and experience they are. Basically, they'll bring out the best in you.
When talking to the kids, they use words, examples and words of both encouragement and discipline they can understand. In this regard, I really like that they don't baby the kids when they're having a hard time. I've seen kids messing around or too hyper (my kid being one of them :) ) but they talk to them one on one and let them know that that behavior is unacceptable. At first the kids are thrown off because I'm sure they're not used to people talking to them like that, but in time they fall in line and learn discipline. They do learn to protect themselves, not just using martial arts, but using their wits.
The adult classes (for what I can tell. I still haven't taken all of them) are very well put together. They do have a routine for all levels. And one of the cool things is that they ALWAYS mix it up. It will never get boring. I consider myself a fit person and I still work up a sweat every time I come by. I feel good about myself, the workout, the class, etc... every time I leave.
As for the instructors:
Mr. Frack knows his stuff. It was a nice relief to know that he was very open minded when it comes to teaching. You can see how these classes are NOT put together on the fly. They were given thought and refined over the years. They are very well balanced and a true form of mixed martial arts. You can talk to Mr. Frack about almost any discipline and he'll most likely have done it and can relate to it and in many ways taken the most practical elements from it and incorporated them into his routines.
Mr. Pollard has been at innovations since forever. I believe he was once one of Mr. Frack's little students. Well, that was a long time ago...He's now a 2nd or 3rd degree black belt instructor. And he TOO knows his stuff man. My oldest daughter is the one who takes classes with him and she just loves coming in. He's very good with the older kids and I like the way he maintains a balance between a fun yet challenging class. One of the things I really appreciate is how he doesn't leave anyone behind, not because he'll allow the class to work at their pace but because he works with them until they become better at what they'e doing. Quitting is simply not an option. I also like how he makes them "pay" when they don't do their personal best, sometimes they get lazy or slopy and they need a bit of encouragement in the form of burpees. I love it...
Mrs. Gigi, well, I don't take yoga with her but she has a super friendly personality. But I do know that people keep coming back for more of her yoga and boot camps. I did one myself not too long ago and boy, that got my heart going sure. Very rewarding.
In summary. This school is consider "Mixed Martial Arts" not in your UFC kind of way. At least not for most of us...Their discipline is based around REAL-WORLD application. They truly do grab the best elements from a ton of other martial arts and combine them into one well balanced technique. You'll learn grappling, boxing, kicking, take downs, grown and pound, proper punching technique, using your words as defense tool, moving, falling, cardio, resistance, I mean the list goes on and on.
The belt system: This is a first for me. There isn't a true (per se) belt system in MMA. HOWEVER, I do get and appreciate they way in which they use their belt system. It keeps everyone focused and organized. It recognizes individuals for their efforts and acts as a motivator for others. There is a certain expectation of what each color level means and so far I think it works for this school.
I recommend this martial arts school to anyone who has kids ( A MUST ), anyone who wants to get in shape, who wants to learn how to protect themselves, who is curious how MMA works, I even know of a few people that compete. My family and I are super happy with this place and don't have any plans on stopping any time soon...
On a personal note, I think a new sign would do this school a ton more justice... read more